Technology and Business for Good

This week, our thoughts are with the victims of the Boston Marathon Explosions. As with all tragedies, we must soldier on with daily life. Here’s news from the week that serve as a reminder of the good things that are happening in the world as a result of technology and business.

Crowdsourcing Solar is a Bright and Powerful Idea” by RP Siegel on Triple Pundit
Financing continues to be the biggest barrier to adopting solar power all around the world. Kiva, the crowdsourcing pioneer, is announcing a new platform designed specifically to fund renewable energy. The Green Loan program has helped nearly 3,000 people in over 20 countries, mainly in the developing world and in $25 increments. The 57,000 lenders came from 91 different countries. Kiva’s Green Loan program is a good example of the combination of technological and financial innovation that is needed to scale up renewable energy.

Global Philanthropy Forum – Impact Investing Panel” by Sasha Dichter on Acumen Fund Blog
Last week the Global Philanthropy Forum hosted a panel on Impact Investing. Sasha Dichter of Acumen Fund provides his takeaways in this blog. Dichter’s four main points are around the balance between financial and social tradeoffs, the “Pioneer Gap”, the development of a new “third” sector, and the financial and social metrics. The discussion serves as a reminder of how young our industry is and how much growth potential we still have.

More than meets the eye:  In conversation with Mark Kaigwa” on eLearning Africa
With mobile subscriptions set to hit one billion by 2015 in Africa, Mark Kaigwa says that mobile phones are changing the African landscape. M-Pesa’s successful launch drew in incredible talent from around the world over the last 7 years. Developers emphasize user-centered design, which will be the key to success for the thousands of technology pilots ongoing in Nairobi and beyond. Check out the article for the rest of Kaigwa’s take on mobile technology.

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